Archaeology, veterans of the Malvinas War and mental health: an unprecedented experience in Latin America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34096/arqueologia.t31.n3.15624Keywords:
Post-traumatic stress disorder, Ex-soldiers, Battlefields, Archaeological practiceAbstract
In this paper we present a pioneering experience that assesses the therapeutic potential of archaeological practice in relation to the mental health of the Malvinas War veterans. The main project connects professionals from archaeology, history, and mental health sciences (psychiatrists, psychologists, and music therapists). Drawing on evaluations and observations from each discipline, we analyze preliminary results from the first three archaeological fieldwork experiences, involving a total of nine veterans. In light of the limited precedents worldwide, the interdisciplinary team aims to implement this type of practice for the first time in Latin America, working with those who participated in the only international war involving the Argentine Republic in the 20th century: the 1982 South Atlantic conflict, in which Argentine forces faced the British Empire—a conflict that remains an open wound in the Argentine social fabric.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Carlos Landa, Sebastián Ávila, Juan Leoni, Alejandra Raies, Diana Tamburini, Emanuel Montanari, Laura Bermolen, Gastón Giunta, Gisela Paly, María Constanza Lioni Tarsitano, Facundo Gómez Romero, Eduardo Quinteros, Gorka Martín-Echebarría, Luis V. Coll, Mariano Ramos, Melina Natalia Gómez Anzalone
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